Online Peace Officer Certification Information

Those interested in becoming peace officers have very few online options for certification. While Texas and a few other states may allow prospective peace officers to take their certification exams through the Internet, most states do not. Individuals planning on pursuing law enforcement careers can study criminal justice or law enforcement via online programs in preparation for their police academy applications. Learn more about the process of becoming a peace officer below.

Career Description for Peace Officers

Peace officers serve the public by intervening when they observe criminal activity, responding to emergency calls and investigating crimes. Officers may be assigned to walk a beat or patrol a given area by car. Others work on specialized teams within a department, investigating certain types of crimes or responding to armed threats.
Most police and law enforcement departments require their officers to complete extensive training before they are given a duty assignment. Those assigned to investigative or special weapons teams have already served as patrol officers and completed additional training for their specialty.

Overview of the Process of Becoming a Peace Officer

Some law enforcement agencies require peace officer applicants to hold associate's or bachelor's degrees, while others accept candidates with only a high school diploma or its equivalent. In most cases, physical and psychological examinations are required of all applicants who meet the department's minimal educational requirements.
Candidates who pass the medical evaluations take a written application exam or civil service exam. Those who pass this exam are subject to a rigorous background check, including criminal and financial reviews. Individuals with clean background checks are eligible for the oral examination or interview and admission to the department's academy.
Departments take a portion of these certified candidates into the academy, where they are probationary hires. Not all candidates successfully complete the training academy. Those that do are probationary officers of the peace and may take their state's certification exam. After passing this exam, they are assigned to field training under a senior officer's supervision.

Peace Officer Certification

Most states require sworn officers to pass a certification exam after their police academy training is complete but before they assume their new duties as trainee officers. State law determines how these exams are taken and the information covered by the exam. A few states allow the applicant to take this exam online, but most require candidates to test in-person at a state-designated testing site.

Online Law Enforcement Programs

Online training for peace officers usually builds on the individual's experience and past education. Some programs offer classes that serve as an introduction to law enforcement, and are completed before an individual applies to a local academy. Other programs prepared sworn officers for career advancement, and are enrolled post-certification. Internet-based programs typically result in a certificate or associate's degree in law enforcement or criminal justice. Peace officer candidates with a certificate or degree may be looked more favorably upon by employers than those without.

Courts and Criminal Justice Classes

Most programs provide an overview of the criminal justice system and its processes. Students then learn specific areas of the court system, and study specific areas such as the rules of evidence and the roles of legal counsel. These classes are largely theoretical.

Law Enforcement and Investigation Classes

Law enforcement programs also include instruction in the history of police systems and practices. Lessons discuss ethical issues and the proper role of police officers within a community's legal systems. They blend law enforcement theories and methods, including criminal investigation techniques and forensic science.